New York City Transportation Commissioner Wilbur Chapman surprised and upset elected officials, neighborhood leaders and transportation reformers Tuesday when he told the City Council Transportation Committee that traffic calming speed humps are a "Band-Aid solution" to reckless driving and that it was "not in the best interests" for the city to continue installing them. The hearing was a routine agency presentation of elements from the Mayor's Management Report.

The Commissioner's take on the traffic calming's efficacy is wrong-headed, and his bad timing was impeccable. Communities in all city boroughs are clamoring for speed humps for school zones, residential streets and crowded shopping areas - NYC DOT reports 1,000 outstanding requests for the wide asphalt mounds designed to slow vehicles. Last month, Governor Pataki signed a law - which the city supported - that permits NYC to set speed limits as low as 15 mph and deploy more effective traffic calming installations. Popular traffic-slowing efforts were set to thrive. On top of that, recent reports indicate traffic fatalities are climbing again, after several years of steady decline.

Fortunately, City Hall has better judgement. A Daily News editorial yesterday suggested that Giuliani Administration leaders have informed the commissioner that the speed hump program will move forward. That's good news, since reports earlier this year suggested that installation of new speed humps had stopped and that NYC DOT was setting extremely stringent new conditions for siting new humps (MTR #232).

"It's good to see that City Hall appreciates the safety and quality of life benefits that speed humps offer - and recognizes the the deep community support they enjoy - and is moving ahead with installing them," said Transportation Alternatives director John Kaehny.

Hopefully, the episode will put to rest any questions about whether the city will proceed with a vigorous traffic calming program.